In Search of Enemies - A CIA Story - John Stockwell

IN SEARCH OF ENEMIES
ing and doodling with their notes and calculators until their figures
were checked and double-checked, and the Office of Logistics could
take over and deliver the required material to the air force.
"Why don't we throw in some forty-five caliber pistols?,, one of
them would quip, "They're worthless in combat but we can get them
cheap. And how about a million ·rounds of thirty caliber ammunition?
How much does it weigh? Somebody look up how much thirty
caliber ammo weighs."
Potts had even less knowledge of infantry weapons and ammunitions.
His modus operandi consisted of a quick look at Janes Weapons
Systems and a lengthy argument about the advantages of one
rocket over another.
The results reflected our amateurism. We delivered into Angola
622 crew-served mortars, rockets, and machine guns; 4,210 antitank
rockets, and 20,986 rifles,* even though UNIT A and the FNLA
combined never fielded more than 10,000 soldiers. Most of the rifles
were obsolete World War II semiautomatics, no match for the AK's
the MPLA was getting.
All of these guns cost a lot of money. While we knew that the 40
Committee had authorized sufficient funds, it took us many months
to obtain a full-time financial expert who could tell us just where our
money was. Until then, whenever money problems arose, Potts
would take out his pen and a scratch pad and begin adding and
subtracting, recalling a figure from the week before, rummaging the
p 1 apers on his desk to confirm a detail. If he wasn't there, Bantam
or I or someone else would fill in.
Theoretically, financial matters would be handled by the Africa
Division finance officers in the support section, but they were overloaded
with routine work and distracted with temporary duty missions.
Whenev,er we pressed for better financial support, the chief of
support would wave his hands expansively and say, "Don't worry
about the money. You need some money, ru find you some money,"
which didn't help us much in precise planning for an arms flight or
budgeting for a mercenary program.
•1n addition, the Chinese, South Africans, and Mobutu supplied several thousand
rifles. See Appendix for a complete list of all arms shipped from the United States
into Angola under IAFEATURE. Other countries contributed armored cars, anti-tank
missiles, 120 mm. mortar ammunition, cannon and light tanks.